Opinion

06/01/2017
Among the surprises I received as a newcomer to this country 30 years ago was the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. It’s an important, though secondary, patriotic celebration in Mexico that did not seem to justify the extensive ads I saw in newspapers and stores here, with sales of beer...

05/25/2017
Caltrans’ recently released draft environmental impact report is the latest step in the process to replace the Green Bridge with a more structurally sound version. Our community has been very involved in the project, from convincing Caltrans to hold more community meetings than it normally provides and to send newsletters...

05/25/2017
I come to Caltrans’ Green Bridge project with an insider’s perspective. I have practiced environmental and natural resources law since 1985. My clients include any type of public or private entity proposing a land-use project with significant environmental issues, including ranchers, developers, timber and mining companies, renewable energy companies, cities...

05/17/2017
In her May 4 column titled “Tea can help prevent dementia,” Dr. Sadja Greenwood wrote about a research study from the National University of Singapore, concluding: “tea drinking reduces the risk of cognitive impairment in older people by 50 percent and as much as 86 percent for those genetically at...

05/04/2017
After Hillary Clinton’s devastating loss nearly six months ago, her most powerful Democratic allies feared losing control of the party. Efforts to lip-synch economic populism while remaining closely tied to Wall Street had led to a catastrophic defeat. In the aftermath, the party’s progressive base—personified by Bernie Sanders—was in position...

04/27/2017
Throughout his campaign for the presidency, Donald Trump took a tough anti-immigrant posture, especially concerning so-called illegals—or, to use the more politically correct term, the undocumented. In this country of laws, it is a great injustice to use the law against those who are utterly vulnerable and whose only crime...

03/22/2017
In his recent opinion piece, Sheriff Robert Doyle sought to assure constituents that his office will neither initiate contact with anyone solely for immigration purposes nor target undocumented crime victims or witnesses. He emphasized that his policy “specifically forbids participation” in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, a claim many community...